1. Don't fight the weather, work with it. Celebrity makeup artist Sandy Linter (coauthor of our best-selling beauty book The Makeup Wakeup) has worked with clients like Christie Brinkley, Bette Midler and Elizabeth Hurley. “The trick to summer is really all about keeping your skin looking fresh as possible,” says Linter. “Let the glow work for you. Use cream or gel stick blushes and bronzers to give skin a healthy, luminous sheen.” And don't forget tinted moisturizers to warm up skin tone and provide just enough sun-warmed color.

2. Get dewy not sticky. Update to a fast-track formula that absorbs instantly with no greasy residue, like a gel-cream or whipped oil-free blend. While you still do need moisturizer to keep 50-plus skin hydrated and lines plumped up “skip moisturizers that leave your skin feeling damp to the touch and never apply moisturizer to eyelids!” Linter says.

Look for one with hyaluronic acid — a humectant that attracts and holds water to the skin like a sponge — such as Neutrogena Hydro-Boost Gel-Cream for extra dry skin ($23, ulta.com) or Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb, the Antioxidant Super Moisturizer ($17, ulta.com). Also keep an eye out for products with water high up on the ingredients list but rich in extra skin boosters like antioxidants and peptides, including Clinique Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator ($39, sephora.com) or Olay Regenerist Whip Face Moisturizer SPF 25 ($39, ulta.com).

3. Fake it, but make it look real. For women who like more coverage in the summer Linter has three suggestions she uses on clients: “Apply a primer first; choose a transfer-resistant makeup [like Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo Foundation ($38, ulta.com)]; and [here's the surprise!] add a light-reflecting, loose-setting powder [like Dermablend Illuminating Banana Powder ($29, ulta.com)] to brighten and prevent makeup from creasing.”

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PHOTO BY: Getty Images; Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage

Bo Derek still luminous in full makeup; Paula Abdul looks lit from within even with real makeup.

Choose primer that's not too slick and be stingy about foundation. Work in thin layers. The goal is not to totally camouflage every brown spot and discoloration but to blur them and minimize the contrast with your overall complexion for a more even yet still natural look that lasts.

4. Keep eyes and lips simple. Think easy and low-maintenance here. Usea primer or cream shadow in a color close to your skin tone as a base to give powder shadow and/or pencil a grip. Save the razzle-dazzle smoky eye for later and stick to a lighter neutral eye that depends on liner and mascara for shape. Swipe on lip balm since your kisser is vulnerable to the drying effects of sun and heat — it also works as a primer to avoid lipstick melting in nooks and crannies or caking — and Linter suggests a sheer or liquid lipstick rather than a full-coverage one.

5. Find a drip-dry haircut. Mark Garrison — an A-list hair stylist with his own eponymous NYC salon — has worked with grownup glamazons including Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington and Sandra Bullock. “Summer is perfect to find a new hair strategy — one that requires minimum heat styling and looks just as great with your natural texture. If you've been blow-drying and flat-ironing smooth, relaxing or doing keratin for a straighter look — stop. It may take time to get the right cut and get used to more bend, wave, curl or texture but this is where women — especially those with fine or thinning hair — benefit,” he says. “Step away from peer pressure and your past and get that high-maintenance hair idea out of your system.”

6. Keep those trims coming. If you're growing out your hair or already have long hair, summer can be a challenge. Hair is always driest at the ends, where splits actually move faster than growth at the roots, fraying further up the hair shaft in a matter of weeks. Pull medium to long hair back in a ponytail or knot at the nape using a hair-toned elastic or scrunchie (trendy again!) or plunk on a woven fedora or panama for style and sun control. And for a quick fix, just smooth all your hair back or up and add a fake braid — this year's must-have for sure.

7. Get over your roots. "You shouldn't be chasing root regrowth every four weeks,” Garrison says. “Modern-looking hair color should look a little rooty and not one seamless color scalp to ends. Pros call it ‘color melt,’ where there's no obvious line. Balayage, or hand-painted highlights, keep darker tones at the roots, lighter toward the tips. They keep hair looking fuller and healthier while allowing roots to come in gracefully and stretching time between color procedures. They're also a smart alternative to all-over color and don't stress weakened fine hair but do still add physical bulk to the hair shaft for a thicker look and feel. You can also use the summer to embrace your silver and start the growing-out process — a real trend I'm seeing more."

8. Keep contrast between hair color and skin. When skin and hair color are similar in depth, you look washed out and features lose definition, a common issue in the summer. “If you color your hair and it fades from UV rays (important for blondes or grays with lighter skin tones) or you're a brunette and use self-tanner and bronzer, don't let your hair color match your skin,” Garrison says. You'll know when you're piling on more makeup, like brighter lips and more blush, to look good that the hair/skin tone is out of whack.

9. Use sunglasses as eye makeup. While a slightly shimmery eye in shades of bronze or golden taupe can restore a twinkle, don't be afraid to swap the waterproof mascara and crease-proof shadows for new lightweight frames with rosy or blue tinted lenses. Let the UV protection keep lids and corneas safe and add a major dose of cosmetic-like style in seconds. Donate old outdated frames (I don't care if they are Chanel or Dior) at any LensCrafters or Costco to recycle for those in need.

For more beauty and style tips for women age 50-plus, check out The Makeup Wakeup: Revitalizing Your look at Any Age by Lois Joy Johnson and Sandy Linter

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